(1)Unless it is otherwise expressly provided by the terms of a grant made by the Government, the right to all minerals, mines and quarters shall vest in the State Government which shall have all powers necessary for the proper enjoyment of such rights.(2)The right to all mines and quarries includes the right of access to land for the purpose of mining and quarrying and the right to occupy such other land as may be necessary for purpose subsidiary thereto, including the erection of offices, workmen's dwellings and machinery, the stacking of minerals and deposit of refuse, the construction of roads, railways or tram-lines, and any other purposes which the State Government may declare to be subsidiary to mining and quarrying.(3)If the Government has assigned to any person its right over any minerals, mines or quarries, and if for the proper enjoyment of such right, it is necessary that all or any of the powers specified in sub-sections (1) and (2) should be exercised, and the Collector may, by an order in writing, subject to such conditions and reservations as he may specify, delegate such powers to the person to whom the right has been assigned :Provided that no such delegation shall be made until notice has been duly served on all persons having rights in the land affected, and their objections have been heard and considered.(4)If, in the exercise of the right herein referred to over any land, the rights of any person are infringed by the occupation or disturbance of the surface of such land, the Government or its assignee shall pay to such persons compensation for such infringement and the amount of such compensation shall be calculated by the Sub-Divisional Officer or, if his award is not accepted, by the Civil Court, as nearly as may be, in accordance with the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (I of 1894).(5)No assignee of the Government shall enter on or occupy the surface of any land without the previous sanction of the Collector, and unless the compensation has been determined and tendered to the persons whose rights are infringed.(6)If an assignee of the Government fails to pay compensation as provided in sub-section (4), the Collector may recover such compensation from him on behalf of the persons entitled to it, as if it were an arrear of land revenue.(7)Any person who without lawful authority extracts or removes minerals from any mine or quarry, the right to which vests in, and has not been assigned by, the Government shall, without prejudice to any other action that may be taken against him be liable, on the order in writing of the Collector, to pay penalty not exceeding a sum calculated at double the market value of the minerals so extracted or removed :Provided that if the sum so calculated is less than one thousand rupees, the penalty may be such larger sum not exceeding one thousand rupees as the Collector may impose.(8)Without prejudice to the provisions in sub-section (7) the Collector may seize and confiscate any mineral extracted or removed from any mine or quarry the right to which vests in, and has not been assigned by the Government.Explanation.-In this section, "minerals" include any sand or clay which the State Government may declare to have a commercial value or to be required for any public purpose.
